As Fragile As The Snow
by AyumiSunset
Summary: Yuki's struggles with life, love, religion, and of course, Kyo and Akito through middle school. What finally pushed Yuki to move in with Shigure on that dark, damp winter day. Pairings are undecided. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Lost At Sea

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. But I do own this computer… And I own my imagination too… I think…**

**A/N: Wah! After Lullaby, I really want to write about Kyo… I miss him so much! ( But this story popped into my head, and I just had to write it.. I guess the plus side is, Kyo is alive in this one!**

_**Fragile As The Snow**_

_**Lost At Sea (Selfish Misery At Its Best)**_

Each step the young silver haired boy took seemed weighted down, as if he had prison chains attached to his feet. He kept his head bowed, so that his hair covered his eyes, shadows falling onto the rest of his face. His mouth was set in a straight line, hands in his pockets, each stride less confident then the next. As he walked up the path to the middle school, heads turned. The boy could hear the whispers around him, commenting in trivial things like his hair, his straight and smooth uniform, his family, and his actions. He ignored it all. All that mattered to Yuki Sohma today was getting through the first day of the all boys middle school Akito had sent him to – alive.

He seated himself at his desk, hands clasped in front of him, pale violet eyes staring blankly towards the blackboard, seemingly void of thought or emotions. The rest of the boys filed in behind him, seating themselves as far away from the new kid as they possibly could – huddling together and conversing in carrying whispers.

"He's one of those Sohma kids – hear they're rich –"

"I heard that he's stupid –"

"Does he think he's better then us –"

"His parents abandoned him –"

"He doesn't talk –"

"Dumb –"

"Deaf –"

"Stupid –"

Yuki resisted the urge to clamp his hands over his ears and scream until the noise was drowned out. He wasn't dumb! He wasn't stupid! Was he? Akito told him he was stupid almost every day – if someone says something about you every day – it has to be true, doesn't it? Yuki's eyes moved from the black board, down to the desk. Still, even if he was, he didn't want them to call him stupid.

The bell rang, making itself heard over the din in the classroom, and the teacher stalked in. He was a harsh-looking, middle aged man, balding, with a circle of brown hair around the top of his shinny head. He had on round glasses that flashed as he turned, giving you a glimpse of his piercing brown eyes held inside them. Yuki's stomach turned just looking at him. He had to spend an entire year with that?

_Mental note: Kiss major ass…_

The teacher's droning lectures carried Yuki through the rest of the school day in a daze, finally leaving the twelve year old boy to walk home the same way he had walked in, though now he had books clutched tightly in his arms.

He was well over half way back to the house, when a voice called out to him. "Hey! Hey you!" Yuki took a few more steps, before he realized that the voice was calling to him. Then, he paused, turning slowly to face his pursuer.

It was a semi-tall, black haired boy with blue eyes, grinning over at him, waving his arms in the air like an idiot. He seemed to be alone, for the most part. No friends whispering behind him. So, it couldn't be a dare, could it? Yuki's eyebrows shot up disbelievingly, watching the boy follow after him.

"Yuki Sohma?" Asked the boy when he stopped directly in front of Yuki, panting slightly.

"Um, yes?" Asked Yuki in as polite a voice as he could manage.

"I'm Yura Sanabe!" Said the boy triumphantly, inclining his head. Yuki did the same, tentatively, his eyes never leaving the boy's face.

"Um, nice to meet you. I guess… You already know my name." Mumbled the silver-haired boy shyly, his eyes not meeting Yura's. Instead they stayed a level below that, staring comfortably at his nose.

"Yeah." Agreed Yura brightly. "Our names are kinda funny aren't they? I mean, I'm Yura, and You're Yuki… And the whole Sohma Sanabe thing…" He chuckled a bit at the thought, but Yuki didn't really understand the joke.

"You're saying our names are similar, correct?" He asked, brow furrowing.

Yura gave him a queer look. "Yeah…"

"I don't understand. How is that funny?"

"You're a funny kid, Sohma." Replied Yura. The smile had faded from his face, and he was staring at Yuki as if he were from another planet. "I'll see you around." And with that, the strange boy was in and out of Yuki Sohma's life.

Yuki watched his retreating back, a frown coming to his face. Frustration welled up inside. That boy had just talked to him, accepted him, and he had blown it with his socially retarded questions! Dang it.

_Mental Note: LAUGH WHEN OTHER PEOPLE LAUGH._

Oh well. Akito wouldn't like Yuki to have friends anyway. He'd probably get really angry if Yuki ever asked to have Yura over… Or spend the night at a friends house… Just the very thought made the rat boy shudder slightly. Of course, the possibility of Yuki even ever having friends was zero to one. After all, everyone hated the rat.

Including the rat himself.

Yuki kicked up the dirt along the path as he entered the main house, the large gates swinging open, much like a prison cell, accepting the small boy inside. His now dirt stained black shoes carried him up the steps, and into the one place he hated most in the world: Akito's black room.

Yuki could see the form of the just slightly older boy sitting just inside the door, as if waiting for something.

Waiting for him.

**A/N: Tah-DAH! I guess. Not that great of a first chapter. but then again, I'm very self-critical. What do you think? REVIEW!**


	2. Don't Worry About Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Goddammit.**

_**Don't Worry About Me (I Won't Be Saved)**_

Akito's eyes snapped up to Yuki's the moment the only slightly younger boy entered the room. The god smiled, rising to his feet, and moving to embrace Yuki. Yuki's hands reached out towards Akito too, grasping the cloth on his back, his eyes starting over the other boy's shoulder blankly as the embrace continued.

The god's soft hands moved to Yuki's face, and he held the smaller boy at arm's length, examining him. The smile slowly faded, and Yuki felt his heart sink back into the depths of his chest. Akito's mood was sour, he could feel it radiating around him, enveloping him in it's bitter heat. Yuki shuddered slightly.

Coal black eyes glared down at the boy, shinning in the dimly lit room. "How was school, Yuki?" His perfect, melodious voice washed over the rat, who shuddered once again at the sound. It was always the same ongoing, tiring circle. Yuki loved Akito, but he hated Akito. He wanted to embrace him, he wanted to kill him. He wanted to be by his side forever, he wanted to run away and never come back.

Love.

Hate.

Could there be no happy medium?

"_Answer_ me." the older boy's harsh voice filled Yuki's ears, hands clenching around his cheeks, forcing his face up, forcing Yuki's hazy violet eyes to connect with Akito's blackened ones.

Yuki's answer came out in a rush. The rat was determined to satisfy Akito's every request, so that he might leave the room unscathed. "It was fine."

His grip on Yuki's cheeks relaxed slightly, and a very small, fragile smile came upon his dark features. "And did you meet any new friends?"

"No."

There was a stony silence. Akito's smile became a satisfied grimace, and he nodded knowingly. "Of course not. Because everyone hates you, Yuki. You know that, don't you? Everyone hates the rat. You're just too _boring, _too _plain_ to have friends. You're nothing special! Don't forget that! You don't deserve to have friends!"

The warm hands were no longer on Yuki's cheeks, one, instead, was flying across his face. Yuki gasped slightly, and gently touched the tender area where the hand had made contact with his cheek.

The silver-haired boy felt his eyes tear up slightly, and he stood there, head bowed, one hand tenderly protecting the cheek that had just been struck, tears that he wouldn't let escape pricking the corner of his eyes. Not that he hadn't heard this before. Akito was beginning to sound rather like a broken record, with speeches of Yuki's worthlessness appearing almost every day. Not that the frequency of these speeches affected their power. Each word hurt just as much as the last one.

Arms enclosed Yuki, and he looked up, tearing his eyes away from the floor. Akito was embracing him once more, a tight, warm embrace.

"Except for me… I'm your friend, Yuki. I'll always be your friend. I love you. I love you more than anything…"

It was then that Yuki broke, arms grasping Akito tightly as he began to cry. The two stayed like that for a very long time, eventually sliding down onto their knees, embracing. The god, and his very broken subject.

LINEBREAK

Yuki walked to school the second day in the exact same fashion he had on the first: eyes on the ground, hands clutching his books to his chest, each stride showing less and less confidence. Truth be told, he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going.

And if you don't look where you're going, it is natural that you will have some problems.

Yuki walked headfirst into Yura, the boy he had talked with yesterday, who was chatting with a group of his friends. Yura brushed him away with a laugh, his friends laughing behind him.

"Oh." Yuki looked up, face startled, "I'm sorry…" 

"Don't worry about it." Shrugged Yura. Yuki went to leave, but the bigger boy grabbed his shoulder, "Hold on, Sohma. We want to talk to you."

Looking back on it later, Yuki realized that he should've known better then to stay. He should have run, excused himself, fainted, anything, rather then be stuck in the clutches of someone who neither knew nor understood about his family. But instead, like an idiot, he smiled a bit too enthusiastically, and joined their group, ready for the inquisition.

"So," Begain Yura, his voice lowering slightly, "Is it true that you're really a girl in disguse?"

The group around Yura burst into laughter, and Yuki flushed pink, making them laugh harder. The rat opened his mouth to deny the claims, but the black-haired boy held his hand up, signaling that his questions were far from over.

"Is it true that the head of your house sent you here because he wants you to learn how to be a man? Is it true that he binds you up each night and lets the maids have a go?"

Yuki's flushed red face was now scarlet, and he felt ready to cry once more, though he held it back. How had these awful rumors gotten started? Why the _hell_ would someone say stuff like that about him? Why did everyone hate him? What had he ever done to them?

_Mental Note: Live as a hermit._

Yura's eyes watched Yuki's face intently. "Aren't you going to answer?" He chided, as the other boys giggled around him, like little school girls over a love note.

Yuki shook his head forcefully.

"Too good for us, is that it? Well, _princess_ Yuki, why don't you come down to our level?" Sneered Yura. Yuki's eyes lifted to the group around him, just in time to see a fist flying towards his face. Yuki cringed backwards, but it still hit his nose, full contact, and Yuki swore he heard it break. He gave a sharp cry, and tried to back away.

_Martial arts. You've trained in martial arts you idiot!_ His mind screamed at him, and he blocked the next punch grabbing the arm it had come from, and twisting it around the boy's back.

The group of boys gaped in shock for a few moments, and then, with the mind set of wild animals, they flew at him, with angry cries.

Yuki didn't stand a chance.


	3. Stress Overload

**Disclaimer: Uits-fay Asket-bay is-ay ot-nay ine-may.**

_**Stress Overload(Another Subsequent Day)**_

The creature that struggled into the school looked nothing like the clean-shaven, twelve year old grey-haired boy had earlier. It's grey hair was covered in matted dirt, and dripping limply in his eyes. Both eyes had purplish bruises forming around them, and blood was dripping from his swollen lip. His uniform was ripped, dirty, and torn, knees and palms skinned, and his shoes were missing, along with a few buttons.

All in all, there was hell to be paid when he entered the classroom.

Hands trembling, partly from pain, partly from nervous anguish, Yuki reached out, and opened the classroom door. Slowly, very slowly, his soft footsteps carried him into the classroom.

A half an hour tardy.

He had tried his best to clean himself up after the fight, but there was simply nothing to be done. His lip kept bleeding, his hair was stained with dirt, and no matter how much he tried, he could not wash the dirt out of his uniform. The other boys had gotten away almost completely unscathed, but this was simply because of the fact that there were six of them, and only one Yuki, they had overcome him in numbers, not strength, or skill.

Yuki shook his head, which was bowed, very bitterly as he approached his desk, with empty hands, and shoeless feet. The teacher looked away from the blackboard as Yuki sat down, and a frown creased his already wrinkled forehead.

"Yuki Sohma!" Cried his sharp voice, over the curious whispers of the class, "Would you come up here, please?"

_Mental Note: Go to a high school that has washing machines._

Yuki begrudgingly made his way to the front of the class, eyes not leaving his socked feet, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. If there was any day it sucked to be him, this had to be it. He grimaced slightly as Sensei put his hand on Yuki's bruised shoulder.

"Son," Began the teacher in a very loud, carrying voice, "Would you care to explain why you have come to school in this disrespectful attire?" His voice was demeaning, and it made Yuki shrink back slightly, cringing at the prospect of confiding anything in this teacher, even if it was simply his favorite color.

Besides, if he told on Yura and his friends, it would just happen again when they got angry. And if he ever wanted to even attempt to make friends, he would keep their secret in his silence.

So, slowly, very, very slowly, Yuki shook his head. Left, right, left right.

The teacher seemed somewhat taken aback, and the class murmured quietly to each other. Yuki wished they would shut up – did they think that their voices didn't carry? He could hear every word about how stupid he was, how spoiled he must be, how much better he thought he was… every single god damn word!

"What was that, Mr. Sohma?" Questioned Sensei, and the murmurs decreased in volume, waiting to hear Yuki's answer.

"I said no, sir." Mumbled Yuki to the floor. There was no force, no reasoning behind his words. Just letters connected together into sounds, carrying their empty meaning across the room, washing over those within it.

The man removed his hand from the boy's shoulder, and cleared his throat, obviously nonplussed. "Erm… Well, yes. You do realize that your parents will be notified? I'll have to send you to the office."

Yuki could've laughed. This man actually thought his parents gave a crap about the fights he got into at school? They had sold his soul to the head of the family for money. Did he really thought they cared? He could almost hear his mother now.

_"Dirty clothes? Oh really? Then clean them. Look, I really have to go, I have a very important appointment. Come get him? He can walk home. It's not going to __**kill**__ him, is it?"_

"Do you understand me, Mr. Sohma?"

Yuki blinked himself out of his stupor, giving a noncommittal grunt at the teacher's question. The stern man frowned even deeper, making it look as if his face were about to cave him.

"Alright then, to the office with you."

Yuki bowed slightly, and walked out of the classroom. As he made his way towards the doors, away from the rumors and murmurs, Yura leaned toward him as Yuki passed his desk.

"Princess!"

He hissed. And then, Yuki was into the hallway.

LINEBREAK

Shigure Sohma was pissed.

He had been enjoying himself, writing his smut in the confines of his home, located conveniently outside the main house, when the phone rang. It was Akito. Apparently, Yuki's parents had called Akito to tell him that Yuki was in trouble. And they wanted to come pick him up.

But Yuki's parents were busy.

Akito was too sick to leave the main house.

And Hatori was caring for Akito.

Which left the job to Shigure.

"Damn." Sighed the dog, tapping the steering wheel forcefully, and nearly hitting an old lady on the sidewalk. He swerved when her cane hit the side of the car. Ugh… that would leave a dent.

Shigure pulled into the school, climbing out of the car, and unhappily surveying his crooked parking job. Hatori often questioned how Shigure had passed his driving test. Sometimes, Shigure himself wondered that too.

With another heavy sigh, he turned and trudged into the school, to gather up the cousin he barely knew. Of course, he had seen Yuki on holidays and such, but the two had never really sat down, and had a chat. Shigure could barely remember what he looked like. Something like Aya, except Aya's hair was more silvery then Yuki's. Wasn't that it? And Yuki…his eyes… They were pale violet? Right?

Ah, whatever. It didn't matter. It's not like the kid would change his life or anything.

Shigure swung open the door of the office, flashing a wide grin to the pretty secretary that sat inside it. She smiled shyly back, as he set his arms down on her desk.

"I'm here to get Yuki Sohma?"

"Oh…" Her face fell slightly. "Are you his father?"

Shigure let out a low chuckle. "No, I'm his cousin. Shigure Sohma. Where is he?"

With a slight frown, the woman reached her hand up and pointed towards the back corner of the room. It held a few chairs, and a table with some business magazines – a sort of makeshift waiting room, if you will. In the darkest, and loneliest corner of them all, sat a grey-haired boy. You couldn't see the color of his eyes, for his hair was falling in front of them- he was looking determinedly at the ground. His hair was stained black in some places, and his uniform was ripped and dirty. Shoulders slumped in a mark of defeat.

He was a truly pathetic sight.

Shigure bit his lip. Poor kid. It almost made him want to run up and give him a hug…. Almost. But Shigure wasn't big on hugs. Especially not hugs with people he barely knew. Such as his best friend's cousin.

So, in compromise, the dog took a half step forward. "Ah, Yuki?"

Yuki raised his head very slightly, and frowned at the sight of Shigure. What was he doing here? Where was mom, or dad, or Akito? Why on earth would a complete – well, almost a complete stranger – come to pick him up?

"um," Continued the Shigure, obviously unsure of what to say, "Akito couldn't make it… He's not feeling well. So he sent me to pick you up. Do you-"

"Let's go." Yuki rose, and Shigure saw for the first time that the boy had no shoes on. He decided not to ask.

"Okay. My car's out front. It's the one with the dent." Said Shigure cheerfully, waving at the secretary with a small smile. Yuki just trounced on ahead, looking down at his feet.

The ride home was the same way. Yuki looked down at his feet, and Shigure drove… Well, in a way. If practically killing yourself and every pedestrian while trying to control a moving hunk of metal is driving. Finally, Shigure hit his steering wheel (and the breaks), and spoke.

"So you've been living with Akito?" He asked pleasantly. Yuki nodded. "I can't see you nodding. I'm looking at the road."

"But…You just said I was nodding."

"I can't see it. You'll have to speak."

"Why?" Yuki's soft, liquid voice was genuinely curious, and Shigure drummed out a rhythm on his steering wheel as the light ahead turned red.

"Because I simply cannot stand silence." Explained the man, in his annoyingly perky manner.

Yuki sighed very deeply, and looked out the windshield determined not to make eye contact with this man. Shigure probably hated him anyway. Why the hell did he want Yuki to talk so bad? He would probably just make fun of him. "Yes, I'm living with Akito."

"Hm." Commented Shigure, "How are you doing there, Yuki?" he asked, eyes leaving the road for a moment to sweep over the bedraggled, pale, and defeated boy. Akito was not having a positive effect on the rat that was for sure. Yuki looked as if pressure and stress were caving in on him all at once.

"It's fine." Replied Yuki, blankly.

"Oh?"

"No, really. Everything's just wonderful." Yuki assured him, sending a small smile Shigure's way. "I like it here." He added, voice cracking on the last two words.

_Mental Note: Learn how to lie._

"Well, here we are." Shigure had pulled up to the gates of the main house, and he grinned sheepishly at the smaller boy. "I can't go any further I'm afraid. Akito isn't very happy with me at the current moment."

Yuki shrugged slightly, and opened the passenger side door. "Bye then." He mumbled, and left very quietly, his socked feet carrying him past the gates, and out of sight.

Neither one of them would sleep tonight.

**A/N: No, this is not a YukiShigure fic. That would be really, REALLY WEIRD! But I wanted them to connect… Trust me. Hmm. So. I was listening to some music, and I realized that I set a lot of moods for my chapters around songs… Or that some songs match the mood of my chapters. So I thought I'd post the song for the current chapter…**

**Song To Download (Mood for Stress Overload):** _**Everything's Just Wonderful – Lily Allen**_


	4. Trancparency Is The Hardest Place To Be

**Disclaimer: I own this story, but not Fruits Basket.**

**A/N: Okay, so. You will soon find that summer doesn't exist in this story. We skip past it all together. It's always the of fall/winter in here. Also, there will be some leaping around time, seeing as I'm covering almost three years of school in one little fanfiction. Que sera sera.**

_**Transparency is the Hardest Place to Be ( I Can't Feel You)**_

New Years was quickly approaching, and the Sohma household was in an uproar. preparations had to be made, decorations set up, food cooked. Even though it was nearly a week and a half away, everyone was still busy twenty four seven, busy cooking, cleaning, and sticking sparkly on every thing that stood still. Yuki himself had had quite a few shiny stars pinned onto the front of his school uniform.

School had not improved much for Yuki over the last few months. Every boy at the school hated him. Yura and his gang, as Yuki had come to know them as, had dubbed him 'princess.' The name stuck, and he was stuck with it. Princess Yuki, stuck up, half-girl, most bullied boy in Southern Japan's most Sophisticated All-Boy's Middle School.

What a crock.

It had come to the point where Hatori had grown accustomed to seeing Yuki every few days, to bandage up some cuts or bruises, or to calm him from another bronchial attack. Yuki himself expected it now, and wouldn't even bother to fight back. After all, it would be over in a moment. No use crying over spilled milk.

It was one of those days: Yuki was walking home from school, lip bleeding, the events from just moments ago running through his mind.

_"Princess!"_

_Yuki had stupidly whirled around at the sound of his nickname, only to find Yura & Gang practically on top of him. A fist collided with his mouth, and he grimaced, backing away, not trying to defend himself. Hand covering his stinging lip._

_"Too good to even fight!" Screamed a boy from the center, and a foot hit him squarely between the legs. He doubled over with a sharp cry, as the other boys laughed._

_"So. You _are_ a boy, princess." Commented Yura, herding his gang away. "See you around. Sohma." He growled over his shoulder, eyes still sparkly with laughter. Yuki just blinked away the tears of pain that welled in his eyes, not even bothering to watch them leave, he turned, and limped towards the main house._

Yuki kicked at the ground bitterly, scraping across the light sprinkling of snow that littered the ground. Blood trickled down his chin, and he wiped it away with a fierce sort of determination. Stupid bastards. What was wrong with them? What made it okay for them to just attack him like that, for absolutely no reason? And they wouldn't even fight him fair, one on one, like they should. No, they were too chicken. Those soulless little _jellyfish_ thought that ganging up on him would be easier then actually fighting him face to-

"Why don't you fight back?" A voice rang out from behind Yuki, and he froze, both body and thoughts, mid-step. He turned promptly to face the voice, a frown crossing his soft features.

"Excuse me?" He asked very quietly. A soft wind blew as he faced the owner of the speaker, blowing his long grey hair across his face.

"I said, why don't you fight back?" The speaker was a girl, about his age, with thick, shoulder length black hair. She had navy blue eyes, and the slightest tint of rose in her cheeks, making it look faintly as she was blushing, though this might have simply been from the cold. Her school uniform (which consisted of a long coat, blouse, and mini-shirt) matched her eyes, and her hands were covered in identical gloves.

Yuki had never seen this girl in his life. He blinked at her a few times, wondering if this was a rhetorical question. Did she really want him to answer that? Was she stupid? Did she see how big they were? How small he was? How little and insignificant he was? What did it matter?

"Who are you?" He asked in a polite yet suspicious manner, eyeing the girl with a small frown.

The girl stared right back at him, giving nothing but a small shiver, which was mostly from the cold then anything else; her black tights, though complimenting, did not provide much warmth. "I'm Kaiya." She answered finally, eyeing Yuki thoughtfully. "Kaiya Sohma. And you are?" She questioned him, daring him not to answer this one.

"Yuki Sohma." He replied dully, violet eyes meeting hers for a moment, but then looking away. Inside, his thoughts were scattered. Why was she talking to him? Didn't she know that he was no good? She was a Sohma… Why hadn't he seen her before? Was this another of Yura's sick jokes?

There was another heartbeat of silence. "I don't believe I've ever seen you in the main house before." It was a statement, but there was a question implied beneath the surface. He was questioning her. Questioning her trustworthiness. Her identity.

She smirked at him, turning her back to him, and rooting around in the snow that was piled up alongside the sidewalk. "That's because I live on the outside, silly." She replied with a giggle, she straightened up, something clutched tightly in her dark blue gloves, which she promptly threw at Yuki. It hit him in the head, leaving him with a nonplussed look, and bits of quickly melting snow in his hair. A snowball.

He frowned at her once more, shaking his head. Behind his blank violet eyes, a war was brewing. She had just thrown a snowball at him. But why? Why was she being all nice, and giggly? Yura had been, nice, but then.

"I have to go." Mumbled Yuki, turning to leave. He had gotten a few steps, when something cold collided with the back of his head. He turned to see Kaiya standing in the middle of the sidewalk, another snowball clutched in her hands.

"Are you always this serious?" Her voice held a tint of laughter, with seriousness lying under the surface. He couldn't quite decipher if she was making fun of him, or not.

_Mental Note: Girls are weird. Stay away from them._

"Akito's expecting me…" The boy's eyes would not meet her, though they were desperately searching, pleading for an answer. He needed to know her intentions. Needed to know why she would talk to him, like this. Needed to know if she hated him. Needed to know if Akito really _was _right. Needed to know if everyone truly hated the rat.

Now a frown crossed her own features, and she pouted slightly, dropping the snowball to the ground. "Why won't you play?" Her voice had a pleading note in it too, but he could not discern the intention of it within her eyes.

"Akito's expecting me." He repeated, heart pounding. He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay so badly… Play… She wanted to play with him. But he swallowed the urge. "I really have to go."

"Another time them." Shrugged Kaiya, smiling once more. She waved as he began to turn and walk away, crying at the top of her lungs, "Byyyyeee Yuukkiiiii-kuuuuuuuuuuunn!"

Yuki broke into a run as her voice died away, trying to fight away the war raging inside his head. He closed his eyes and shook his head as he stopped inside the Main House's gate, breath coming in short gasps. The smell of New Year's filled his nose, and he saw Akito's thin, sickly form making it's way towards him. He reached out to it. Right now, all he wanted was something familiar. Something that he understood, and could discern truth from.

Even if it was hate.

**Song To Download (Mood For **_**Transparency**__Why_ – Avril Lavigne


	5. The War is Won

**Disclaimer: If I owned Fruits Basket, pigs would fly. …And manure would rain from the skies… Ick.**

**A/N: AHHHH! Sorry its taken me so long to update. My internet was shut off for a short period of time because our check was late. Heheh. Anyway, this chapter ends off Yuki's first year of middle school! Uwa!**

**Song To Download(Mood for The Battle's Won): **_Walls –_ Teddy Geiger

_**The Battle's Won(But The War's Just Begun)**_

Yuki made a face, and slumped down farther in his seat as the volume of the laughter and music increased. Everyone was out there, laughing, dancing, having fun celebrating the coming of the New Year, and yet here he sat, alone. Usually, Yuki would at least try to join in the festivities, to dance around and watch the adults grow drunk and make fools of themselves. But tonight, the boy found himself in an unsociable mood, violet eyes narrowed in distain.

They were all out there having fun, without him. Not one of them made a move to come and get him, to ask what was wrong. And maybe it was stupid and self-centered of him, but he wanted someone to care. At this point in time, his sole purpose in life was for someone to come over to him and ask him if he was okay.

Speak of the devil.

In a flash of material and feathers, pair of navy blue eyes was staring directly into his. The boy's violet eyes widened his shock, and he gripped sides of his chair, while leaning as far back away from this sudden apparition as humanly possible.

Kaiya giggled, her face following his until she was leaning all the way over him, head cocked curiously, much like a kitten exploring its first ball of yarn.

"What are you doing sitting down, Yuki-kun?" She asked, voice alight with a rigid curiosity.

Yuki wondered if 'sitting down' was the correct term. What he was doing now seemed more like tipping over then sitting. Kaiya backed away, a small spring in her step as she did so, her pale yellow dress rippling slightly.

"Do you talk?" He question was a teasing one, and though she meant no harm, the rat's face contorted, as if in pain. He closed his eyes, and shook his head sharply in answer to her question. No, he did not talk. He did not speak, he did not communicate. He didn't have friends, and he didn't play! Why didn't this girl realize this? Why wouldn't she hate him like she was supposed to? He had gotten his New Year's wish, he was no longer alone in his corner, but he no longer wanted it. He just wanted her to go away, leave him alone, and

"Stop bothering me!" It came out, word vomit more than anything. He hadn't really meant to say it. But he couldn't bear her happy smile judging him any longer. If she wanted someone to pity, she could talk to the cat. He needed more sympathy then anyone.

Her hurt expression caused a cold wave of numbness to overcome Yuki. His stomach clenched, and he held her gaze for only a few moments, before gritting his teeth and looking away. He only now realized how much her pale yellow outfit contrasted her dark features. It was like trying to shove sunshine into a cloudy day. Or a friend into the life of Yuki Sohma.

_Mental Note: Don't scream at people. It upsets them._

"I'm sorry." Their quiet voices spoke in unison, and they each looked up from their feet.

"I-" The began again. Once more, their voices matched. Kaiya broke into a grin.

"You see-" They echoed each other yet again, and this time, even Yuki had to smile, while Kaiya burst into a fit of giggles, her eyes shining as Yuki himself gave a small chuckle.

Finally, the girl's laughter subsided, and she dutifully gave a small bow, before holding out her hand, as if to help him up. "Let's be friends."

Yuki's blank expression made her smile once more. "Friends?" He echoed, brow furrowing as he tried to figure out the words.

"Yes, friends. Let's be friends, silly!" She answered, her hand trembling slightly with the effort of holding it in midair. But when Yuki stayed frozen, she didn't draw it away. When he frowned, she didn't turn and run. Instead, she stood there, the same silly grin planted on her face.

"Ah…" Yuki began to say something, but then, logic escaped him. "Okay." He said finally, "Okay. Let's be friends." His hand began to reach for hers, but was stopped by the presence of another upon his shoulder. Kaiya smiled nervously up at the figure, who towered over both preteens, grip firm upon Yuki's shoulder.

"Come, Yuki." Hatori beckoned, as Kaiya dropped her hand to her side, "It will be time for the banquet soon, and Akito wants you." Yuki swallowed nervously, then nodded, quietly rising to his feet, which carried him automatically out of the room, and through to the banquet hall. As he left, he strained his ears for the sound of Kaiya's laughter, but instead all he heard were the drunken ramblings of Shigure and Ayame.

_Mental Note: It's nice to have friends._

LINEBREAK

All thoughts of friendship were lost from Yuki's thoughts as he entered the banquet. He sat to the left of Akito, eyes fixed on the tablecloth, as though he were intently surveying its eloquent design. He ignored the dance taking place, ignored the slurred innuendo between Shigure and Ayame.

Ayame. His brother. The brother who wouldn't even look at him. The brother who pretended he didn't exist. Just like everyone else, who was chatting around the table, taking various bites of the food that they exclaimed was oh-so-delicious. They all ignored him too. They pretended he didn't exist. They hated him. They _hated_ him!

Yuki's fingers clutched at the fabric covering the table, and he felt the presence of an intense gaze boring holes into his skull. Wiping his eyes determinedly, he raised his gaze up to Akito, who was staring down at him with a completely expressionless look.

The head of the house watched him for a few moments, then frowned as Yuki coughed into his hand a few times. "Would you stop that? I don't want your germs. You'll get me sick." His eyes flashed angrily, "Unless, of course, that's what you want. Do you want me sick, Yuki? Do you want me to die?"

Yuki shook his head intently, trying to swallow the next few coughs that tried to escaped, though it only made him feel worse. He was supposed to be getting better! Hatori said that his bronchial tubes would strengthen as he grew older, but the attacks just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

A plate was shoved in front of the small boy, a pair of chopsticks wedged into his lightly closed fist.

"Eat." Murmured the soft voice of Akito into his ear, "It will make you feel better. So that I won't die." He felt a hand on his head, stroking his hair gently, and he picked up a small piece of chicken, biting it daintily, rather like a girl. In his mouth, the food seemed bland and tasteless. Nothing like the great feast it should be.

Shigure watched the two of them from across the table, a frown curling his lips as Akito's mouth moved, whispering words of sweet poison into the poor child's ear. The dog could not hear what was being said, but he was sure it was nothing good. He turned away from Aya, who was practically screaming nonsense in his ear, and politely excused himself for the bathroom, tapping Hatori lightly on the shoulder as he went. It was a sign, and the doctor followed shortly after.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuki saw the two leave, but he would not know the meaning of it until nearly two years later.

After the two left on their "bathroom break", Yuki felt another round of coughing rising up his throat. He nervously shoved a few more things into his mouth, chewing in a determined sort of way that seemed to please Akito, who turned away from Yuki and back to his own food. However, there was no stopping this attack. It was determined to escape no matter what the cost.

Yuki felt the bile rising up his throat and stood, running as fast as he could towards the door to the outside, hand covering his mouth. He wasn't sure if anyone was following and didn't know that as he bent over the bushes, coughing, choking, and retching all at once, that a pair of amber eyes were watching his convulsions.

"That's disgusting."

Still trembling from his episode, Yuki's head snapped up, and he turned to come face to face with two narrowed amber eyes, placed on a face topped with fiery orange hair. Yuki's eyes widened slightly.

"K-Kyo." He gasped, struggling to gain back the air he had lost.

"K-Kyo." Sneered the cat, imitating Yuki's soft voice with a shrill, girlish shriek. Yuki watched him carefully. He could see the fury within his gaze: he had reached his maximum fury. The rat knew why. It was New Year's Eve once again, and the cat was stuck on the outside of the banquet, all alone.

But was it any better to be alone on the outside, then alone on the inside?

Kyo's next few words came out in a hiss, like the cat he pertained so hard not to be. "Enough of your sniveling." His hands reached out, giving the other boy a shove. "Fight me, you damn rat."

Something, some tired rage, arose inside Yuki. He was tired of this damn cat, always trying to worm his way into the zodiac. He was tired of always having Kyo at his throat, wherever he went. And, most of all he was tired of having to always kick the stupid cat's dumb ass.

Therefore, when Kyo snarled his angry command, the rat gladly obliged, hands reaching out, and shoving Kyo right back.

"Ready for another loss, you stupid cat?"

It felt nice to vent his frustrations, after such a long time. He pretended that Kyo was really Yura, and Yura's friends, imagining how they would cry if he hit them here, how much they would scream if he kicked them here. What would happen if he tugged at them here.

The entire fight was over in less then five minutes, ending with Kyo on the ground after skidding about five feet, hands clutching a nose that was obviously broken. The boy pulled his hands away, watching the blood, eyes wide, before they narrowed once more, turning their gaze upon Yuki.

"You damn rat. No wonder everyone hates you."

And then he was on his feet, leaving a trail of blood drops in the snow as he left the garden, in search of his Shishou. Yuki just stood there, eyes wide; watching the place Kyo had just been with a terrible fear rising inside him. The words bubbling up, and echoing inside his head.

"_You damn rat. No wonder everyone hates you._

_No wonder everyone hates you_

_Everyone hates you_

_Hates you_

_Hates you_

_EVERYONE HATES YOU!"_

"Nng." Yuki was on his knees, one hand supporting him, the other clutched tightly over his face, hot tears welling up, and falling into the snow, melting it away. He couldn't even try to stop them. They were coming too hard, and too fast, and if he let them fall…

Maybe they would wash away the emptiness he felt inside.


End file.
